5

"Ianto? Tiger?"

I had fallen asleep, stupid thing to do but there ya go, I am weak like that. The chance to rest was not one I could afford to let go, not knowing when I might again.

Well, I guess I will sleep when I am dead, right?

"Sir?" I grimace at my croaked reply and know he is probably doing the same.

"Mervig wants a word please"

Jack is calm but underneath it I hear his fear, a soft waiver only I can hear and I wonder if his fear is for the team, she wouldn't threaten them would she?

"Of course" I sit up and rub my face, wondering when Margaret stole the baby again, then concentrating as she begins to talk in my native tongue, something that she is unhappy about but she is reaching here.

Must be, to even attempt the vowels.

"Please. I have her, please return and we can swap. No harm no foul. Please. You were clever and I applaud you. We agree. Yes? No anger or blame. No payback. You come bring Hr and I give you her."

"I can't hear her" I say with a simple frown as I rush to the other room where Margaret as feeding the youngling. I listen and the faint cry of a child can he heard, my knees going weak as I wonder if it is real, if she is real.

"Sir?"

"Yes Ianto"

"Is Owen there?"

"Here"

He is pissed, right royally and his barked answer tells me a myriad of things. Pissed, afraid and also excited. Of course, he is enjoying watching Jack twist. Little shit.

"Owen could you please test the child's DNA, tell me if it's human or not?" I ask as I search for the PDA in my backpack, "If Toshiko could sent a photo so I can see what she looks like? I would be ever so grateful."

"K"

Oh boy, a single letter. Not even the regulatory two an 'OK' is used? I am in the shit eh? Find myself grinning.

While I wait I reclaim the baby, letting the coms stay open as it coos and laughs as I giggle at it.

Mervig is heard crying and her joy is raw as she realises I have not killed it yet. Like I could. How can I look at Hr wee face and even consider such a thing. I am not one of them.

I am a monster of a different colour. Right?

"Oi, Ianto"

Owen's voce is soft, a different com link and I know he has twigged, his voice full of confusion and remorse.

"She matches the data base. You know that though right? The DNA markers."

"Yes, I had hoped but feared she had simply stolen someone's child off the street to appease me. It's real, she's real? The DNA matched?" I can't hide my raw need, trying not to squeeze the baby too tightly.

"She is a little girl, about eighteen months old, maybe a wee bit more. Blonde hair, blue/grey eyes and a wee cupids bow that turns to a thin line of disapproval. The DNA confirms it. I don't understand but I know what I am seeing. Tell me what you need."

"I need to come back and swap hers for mine" I reply, "I need the little one separated so she doesn't kill her the moment I enter the room as a show of defiance. I need the child back."

"Done."

"Thank you Owen."

"When all this is over I want a talk, a real one. A 'Once Upon a Time' kinda talk not a 'here's the brief outline' kinda one, OK? I want to know how this child can be so much you it's almost like she's a clone."

"She is, sort of" I reply, relieved and knowing Owen will keep his promise, "She is a genetically engineered version of me, a female one. They did it so they could force us to reproduce, wanted me to breed with my own child once she was old enough. Pets, like animals. Owen, that is my child, the scar on my stomach is the C-Section that birthed her. I held her, loved her, cherished her and they took her away when they realised we grow so damned slowly."

"Fuck"

"Owen please, I am coming now."

"On it."

"I do not doubt it my friend" I do not doubt him at all.

I entered the same way I had left, confident they hadn't worked it out … of course not.

Silly apes.

I went up through the levels and entered from under the stairs, watching as Owen and Gwen corralled my child in a corner, Gwen stroking the little blonde ringlets … ah gods, her hair was golden.

Mervig stood with Jack watching a screen, the Plass. They thought I had left that way? No. Jack knew I hadn't, the lift hadn't moved. He was deliberately distracting them and I felt a rush of affection that had him slowly turning his head so he could see me out the corner of his eye.

So.

Knew it.

Bastard was empathic like me.

"Mervig?"

She spun and have a sob of relief as she saw her child in my arms, then paused as she saw the blade.

"Mervig, we have an agreement, witnessed by our peoples? Yes? Tit for Tat. Exchange without repercussion?" I demand, needing it said clearly as they were a people of their word.

"I will leave and not return. I will not seek you or her and I will accept that you won" she said slowly, her hands reaching.

"We both win" I say softly in my native tongue, "Everybody lives."

I let her take the child and retreat, her face full of joy and I watch the member of her crew take a step towards my child. I sigh as I flick my wrist and catch the baby under the chin, Mervig still too close to get clear of my ire.

"Mervig, you lie. Your Gods will punish you" Galactic standard now, I do hate my own language so, GS is so much easier on the tongue. She looks over at her crew member who has frozen, his hand with the weapon pointing at my child also frozen as I snarl, "Shame. Shame on your house."

"Bikore, stand down before I gut you in front of the young" she snarls, her fury rising "I made a pact, I have given my word. How dare you blight my name."

I am free to move to my daughter who is sitting on Gwen's knee and I gather her into my arms, smell her and feel a release, shocked to feel wetness on my face and realise I am crying.

"My baby girl" I sob, holding her close, "My little flower. Oh, my Gem."

"I think you need to go now" Jack is calm, superman calm, "I think we are all done. You got the part for your ship and we both got our respective arses handed to us by my unsuspecting Tiger over there. Goodbye Mervig. Best you not come this way again."

I watch them leave, Gwen offering to drive them back to their vessel and I hear Jack softly tell Mervig that if she tries to negotiate with Gwen as a hostage he will not care, she is new anyway.

A bluff, but a good one as I watch Gwen blanche. Mervig will know she is new, her scanning will have told her that with the handshake from Gwen. Green. Jack's would have been as shaking the hand of a corpse, his shielding so intense.

My daughter.

My little world.

Gemima.

My Gem.

I hold her and feel joy as she closes her eyes and sniffs, recognising the unique smell of her first few days of life, her parental.

I hold a wee miracle in my arms and watch Jack approach to kneel and smile softly as he strokes her hair. I feel no fear, only joy as I look down and smile at him.

"So. This is the cause of all this fuss, eh?" he is talking softly to her, her smile disarming, "Aren't you the one."

"She is mine" I sat proudly, "I grew her, in my stomach, just below my heart, next to my heart. Do you see Cariad? Do you see my child? Grown in me, not even…"

Jack looks up and his hand on my wrist catches it, our bond stronger than ever and he doesn't beathe as he stares into my eyes with wide eyed wonder.

"Not even what? She seems fucking perfect" Owen says as he scans her quietly.

"Loomed" Jack finishes for me, his breath a sharp huff, "The language you were speaking to Mervig that I couldn't get my VM to translate. I knew it was familiar. Well, well, well. She did catch a Tiger by its tail."

No more secrets.

No more lies.

I can tell him now.

It's safe.

"Gallifreian" I agree "The langue of my people, yes Cariad. My Captain. My beloved."

"And your name?"

"I am the Archivist but I prefer Ianto now, I like the way you say it."

Jack is still stoking my wrist and I feel a flood of love, joy and regret that it hurt me to speak the name I had earned out loud.

I know it confuses him, this feeling that lingers in the back, behind my joy.

Regret.

I hate the fact I was once one of them, I revel in this new life with this race of people.

Oh how I wish I were human too.

I hate being a Timelord.